India to have one-fourth of global workforce by 2022: Patil

New Delhi, Feb 12 (PTI) India has the potential to account for one-fourth of the overall workforce across the world by 2022, Indian President Pratibha Patil said Thursday.

"Through a planned investment in skill development the
country holds the potential to account for a fourth of the
global workforce by 2022, when India will mark 75 years of its
independence," Patil told the joint sitting of Parliament.

Emphasising that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
government has put in place coordinated action for skill
development, she said: "A National Council for Skill
Development to synergise public and private streams for skill
development and a National Skill Development Corporation to
promote private sector led action have also been set up".

Patil pointed out that setting up of IITs in early
decades of the country's independence has "led to India's
emergence as the global power in software development by the
end of the century". She said the government has undertaken
second wave of investment in higher education through creation
of eight new IITs, seven IIMs, five Indian Institutes of
Science Education and Research and 15 Central Universities.

India is currently estimated to have a total workforce of
500 million, which is expected to grow by 20 million every
year over the next 10 years.

Patil said India is a "nation of young people" and the
country's youth can be made employable by investing in skill
development.

"India's demographic dividends can be realised only if
the country invests in developing skills to make our youths
employable," she said.

Her address marked the start of Parliament session in the
new year, the last for the 14th Lok Sabha.

Last year the Central government had constituted the Prime
Minster's National Council for Skill Development (NCSD) to
guide activities for skill development in the country.

The apex body is chaired by Prime Minster Manmohan Singh,
minister's of human resource development, finance, heavy
industry and public enterprises among others.

The NCSD board assists the apex body for a coordinated
action for skill development in the public and private
sectors.

Reiterating that the UPA government has been focusing on
knowledge-investment she said investments in knowledge sector
has grown four-fold in the 11th Plan (2007-12).

"India sees knowledge as the strategic resource that will
give it leadership and this investment will serve that
purpose," Patil said.

"To attract and retain talents in institutions of higher
learning, my government has radically restructured the pay
scales of teachers in universities," she added. PTI JD
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